Informational Websites

Plastic Pollution Coalition is a global alliance of individuals, organizations, businesses and policymakers working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, the ocean and the environment. Join the coalition to take action on a person, community or a global level. find facts, tools, curriculum and more in the Resources section of the website. Get access to the Informative Plastic Free Guides. Keep updated on research, legislation, coalition member activities, and read inspiring stories on the fight against plastic in Plastic Free Times.

S.E.A. Change - Science, Education, Activism. 5 Gyres has led the effort to research aquatic plastic pollution and to find solutions for regaining a plastic-free ocean. Their mission is to empower people to become leaders in combating the global health crisis of plastic pollution.

Algalita envisions a marine environment that is healthy, sustainable and productive for all living creatures, free from plastic pollution. We believe that together, we can combat the crisis through research, education, and action.

In a special section on marine debris, the California Coastal Commission emphasizes that Plastic comprises almost 90 percent of floating marine debris, with a special focus on plastic pellets, or "nurdles". Due to its durability, buoyancy, and ability to accumulate and concentrate toxins present in the ocean, plastic is especially harmful to marine life. Find background information on the problem and what action you can take to help.

Creating pathways to safer chemicals and healthier materials through three core programs: GreenScreen, BizNGO and the Chemical Footprint Project

BizNGO - a unique collaboration of business and environmental leaders working together to define and implement the leading edge in safer chemicals and sustainable materials.

GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals - a rigorous benchmarking tool for chemical hazard assessment that enables companies and governments to identify chemicals of concern to human health and the environment and to select safer alternatives. It is fully transparent and openly available for anyone to use.

Chemical Footprint Project - The mission of the Chemical Footprint Project is to transform global chemical use by measuring and disclosing data on business progress to safer chemicals. It provides a tool for benchmarking companies as they select safer alternatives and reduce their use of chemicals of high concern.

IPW is a volunteer-based global monitoring program proposed by Dr. Takada of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. Participants collect plastic resin pellets on their nearby beaches and send them to Dr. Takada for analysis. Plastic resin pellets accumulate organic pollutants like PCBs and organochlorine pesticides which are regulated by an international treaty (i.e., Stockholm Convention). Studies related to IPW have demonstratedthe transfer of POPs from ingested plastics to the tissues of biota that mistakenly consume marine plastics. Analytical maps are available showing global POP concentrations in beached resin pellets.

The Lonely Whale Foundation is dedicated to bringing people closer to the world’s oceans through education and awareness, inspiring empathy and action for ocean health and the wellbeing of marine wildlife.

The Marine & Environmental Research Institute has pioneered research on microplastic pollution. They developed an innovative method to measure microplastics in seawater and detected staggering amounts of microplastic fragments in water samples collected in what were thought to be pristine Maine coastal waters, on average, a surprising 17 plastic fragments in every liter of seaters. The main source of the microplastics are consumer products coming from abrasive microbeads in beauty products released into sinks and shower drains and microplastics from synthetic clothing released during washing. Through monitoring, education and media, they inspire citizen action to help mitigate plastic and microplastic pollution.

Plastic is one of the most common materials in our daily lives. We eat and drink from it, buy stuff packaged in it, and even wear clothes made of it. But what happens when it’s no longer useful to us?

Since plastic doesn't break down naturally, things that had a useful life of just a few minutes can pollute our ocean for hundreds of years. Plastic bags, cosmetic microbeads and other types of plastic trash have spread throughout the ocean—from the surface to the deepest submarine canyons. Plastic debris is also washing back onto our shores, leaving a mess for our children to clean up.

This makes plastic pollution a major threat to marine wildlife like fish, turtles, seabirds and whales. Not only do animals get tangled in plastic trash like six-pack rings, plastic bags and abandoned fishing nets; they also mistakenly fill their stomachs with plastic instead of food.

Plastic is made with toxic chemicals such as bisphenol-A, styrene and phthalates. Worse, plastic trash in the ocean acts like a sponge, soaking up pollutants and pesticides from the surrounding seawater. When marine animals eat plastic, they ingest these poisonous cocktails, too. The toxins can concentrate up the food chain and can even end up in the seafood on our plates.

As an organization one of Nakawe's projects is to protect sharks, through awareness, education and action. They aim to be an international reference in the defense of sharks. How does plastic affect sharks? Plastic accumulates on the waterfront or accumulate in ocean gyres which break down into smaller and smaller pieces but do not disappear because most of it is not biodegradable. Small fish ingest the plastic, which can cause serious damage to their digestive systems. Sharks consume these contaminated fish, or eat plastic by mistaking it for prey or get caught in plastic gyre drift.

NOAA addresses Marine Debris through a comprehensive education program. Marine debris is one of the most widespread pollution problems facing the world's oceans and waterways. The huge amount of consumer plastics, metals, rubber, paper, textiles, derelict fishing gear, vessels, and other lost or discarded items that enter the marine environment every day pose a threat to our environment, navigation safety, the economy, and human health. Discover how marine debris moves and why "garbage patches" form. Understand marine debris impacts, including how it harms wildlife, habitat, and the economy. And learn how you can help solve this problem.

We use tons of plastic. It's in everything from packaging to toys, to the dashboard in your car. massive amounts of to end up in the ocean. It contains toxins, and absorbs more toxins. It entangles and kills sea life. It certainly doesn't biodegrade, but there are ways we can help.

Marine debris is one of the biggest environmental threats since much of the debris is comprised of plastics and other materials that resist natural degradation. This results in adverse effects to marine organisms via ingestion and entanglement.

A Question and Answer exchange between different schools and the North Pacific Expedition team. Learn about the Pacific Plastic Patch, how the ocean currents bring all the debris together, Sources of plastic debris, plastic pellets and many more answers to informational queries.

Plastic Change's mission is to work with documentation, information, education and solutions that will raise awareness of plastic pollution in the general population, the industry and the political system. We prepare scientific documentation in the form of research data, among other things on our expeditions to the world's oceans. Our ambitions are high, for the challenge is great.

Plastic Free July aims to raise awareness of the problems and amount of single-use disposable plastic in our lives and challenges people to do something about it. Challenge yourself by signing up for a day, a week or the whole month and try to refuse ALL single-use plastic or try the TOP 4: plastic bags, water bottles, takeaway coffee cups and straws.

With over half a million tons of plastic on the ocean’s surface and growing daily, the consequences for marine life and ultimately humans are disastrous. Plastic Pollution Solutions aims to address the growing problem of plastic pollution through our events and activities that focus on Awareness, Education & Action.

The Plastic Soup Lab connects innovative solutions for the Plastic Soup and its innovators with companies and potential investors. Their mission is to close the gap between thinkers and backers, by bringing them closer together via this platform.

RETHINK PLASTIC is an alliance of leading European NGOS with one common aim: a future that is free from plastic pollution. We represent hundreds of thousands of active groups, supporters and citizens in every EU member state. We bring together policy and technical expertise from a variety of relevant fields and are part of the global BREAK FREE FROM PLASTIC MOVEMENT, consisting of over 800 NGOS and millions of citizens worldwide.

Save Our Shores is a nonprofit marine conservation organization in Santa Cruz, California whose mission is caring for the marine environment through ocean awareness, advocacy, and citizen action. For over the last 30 years, Save Our Shores has worked to prevent offshore oil drilling in Central Coast waters, helped establish the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, prevented local cruise ship pollution, and brought together diverse stakeholders to find common solutions to ocean issues. Their current focus is on educating youth about their watersheds, tackling plastic pollution on their beaches and rivers, advocating for plastic-free communities, managing Annual Coastal Cleanup Day in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, running their nationally renowned Dockwalker program, and providing their community with educated and inspired Sanctuary Stewards.

We want to use our voice as Europe’s leading Entertainment Company and the potential of our reach to inspire people to take action to protect our planet. We choose big, global issues that matter to our customers and to inspire people to make a real difference.

We’re bringing to life our amazing ocean for millions of people across Europe and discussing the solutions. Through our news channels, Sky News in the UK and TG24 in Italy, we are raising awareness of how plastics and other pollution are affecting our oceans. Through the campaign we're exploring the different ways people can help to make a difference and inspiring them to take action.

South Carolina Aquarium collaborated with 5 Gyres Institute and the Lonely Whale Foundation to host Breaking Down Plastic, a one-day summit held on March 30, 2017, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Their solution-oriented discussions focused on aligning efforts and highlighting shared commitments, bringing a diverse group of powerful participants to the table to use their collective voice to build awareness and motivate action to advance responsible production, consumption, and disposal of plastic at all levels. Learn more.

The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, beaches through a powerful activist network. It operates through local, regional and national chapters. Chapter volunteers serve as the first response to local threats in coastal communities across the US. They are the boots on the ground who collaborate on both the local and national level with regional staff and issue experts to carry out our mission through campaign, program and educational initiatives in their local communities. Find a chapter in your area, or start one!

Several agencies and organizations working with the issue of marine litter (marine debris) offer educational material and special activities for children. The overall purpose of these efforts is to make children familiar with the marine environment, make them care about it and understand the consequences of abusing it. The educational programs are about waste management in general and/or about marine litter in particular. A few examples of programs and activities targeting children/students and teachers.

Waves Not Plastic Halfway across the world on a surf trip in Africa, Jeff Lenore, Founder and CEO of Waves Not Plastic, was enthralled with the country of Morocco. Its amazing surf, food, and landscape puzzled him as to why he had never been there before. But among the perfect waves, he noticed something was out of balance. While surfing solid waves at the point breaks, reefs, and sand bars, he always noticed the same thing... Plastic!

Plastic was everywhere. Littered on the beaches, buried between rocks, and floating in the water. He could no longer ignore this alarming problem. The plan: use Waves Not Plastic as a platform to create awareness and provide a support system for surfers just like you to make a difference. By educating local surfers in underdeveloped regions we can begin to turn the tides and develop a generation that heals our oceans. This is no easy task but by doing what we love, we begin to address this alarming issue.